Instructor Resource
Lussier, Management Fundamentals 8e
SAGE Publishing, 2019
Case Notes
Chapter 12: Leading with Influence
Brad Smith, CEO at Intui
1. How can Brad Smith’s effectiveness as CEO of Intuit be explained from a trait
theory of leadership perspective?
The Ghiselli study on leadership traits identified the following traits as being important
2. How can Brad Smith’s effectiveness as CEO of Intuit be explained from a path-
goal theory of leadership?
Path-goal theory of leadership is a situational theory of leadership that says that the most
Instructor Resource
Lussier, Management Fundamentals 8e
SAGE Publishing, 2019
3. How can Brad Smith’s effectiveness as CEO of Intuit be explained from a
transformational leadership theory perspective?
Transformational leaders use of a leadership style that focuses on continuous learning,
4. How can Brad Smith’s effectiveness as CEO if Intuit be explained from a servant
leadership perspective?
Servant leaders focus on helping others in their organizations by placing their needs
5. Do you think that Brad Smith is a good leader? Why or why not?
6. What do you think are the most important things that you can learn from Brad
Smith’s leadership style about how to become a more effective leader yourself
Answers will vary depending on the students.
Tim Cook Polish Steve Job’s Apple: Really?
1. Would you consider Steve Jobs a leader, a manager, or both?
Jobs was more a leader then a manager. His leadership was inspiring and motivated
Instructor Resource
Lussier, Management Fundamentals 8e
SAGE Publishing, 2019
2. Would you consider Tim Cook a leader, a manager, or both?
Tim Cook appears to be more of a manager then a leader. His leadership is certainly not
3. Would Ghiselli say that Steve Jobs or Tim Cook have the traits of a successful
leader?
Ghiselli identified the following six traits, in order of importance, as being significant
4. Which basic leadership style—autocratic, democratic, or laissez-faire—would
Jobs’s critics say he used? What style is Cook?
Jobs was often autocratic and dictatorial. He was the vocal leader and everyone knew to
Instructor Resource
Lussier, Management Fundamentals 8e
5. Could you make a case for the Ohio State leadership style of high structure/low
consideration or low structure/high consideration in analyzing Jobs’s versus
Cook’s leadership style?
Jobs was more high structure and low consideration. He liked to have control and he
6. Using the University of Michigan leadership style model, was Jobs/Cook job-
centered, or employee-centered?
Jobs was job-centered since he was totally focused on performance; employees who
7. Which Leadership Grid® style—(1, 1) impoverished, (9, 1) authority-compliance,
(1, 9) country club, (5, 5) middle-of-the-road, or (9, 9) team—would Jobs’s and
Cook’s critics say they used?
Although it would be nice to say Jobs was (9, 9), it would be fair to say (9, 1) was more
8. Was Steve Jobs a charismatic leader?
Instructor Resource
Lussier, Management Fundamentals 8e
SAGE Publishing, 2019
Yes. Many people consider Jobs a great speaker and very enthusiastic. He inspired
9. Was Jobs considered a transformational or transactional leader?
Transformational. Jobs literally changed the world with his innovative computers and
smartphones.
10. Is Tim Cook considered a transformational or transactional leader?
11. Which contingency leadership style, task oriented or relationship oriented, would
Jobs’s and Cook’s critics say they use?
12. Would you liked to have work for Steve Jobs? Why or why not?
13. Did leadership play a role in the change in performance at Apple with and
without Steve Jobs as CEO?
Yes. Apple’s performance after he left as abysmal and quickly recovered when he took
back the reins of the helm of the firm.
14. Would you like to work for Tim Cook? Why or why not?
15. Was Steve Jobs or Cook an entrepreneur? Why or why not?
Instructor Resource
Lussier, Management Fundamentals 8e
SAGE Publishing, 2019
Jobs is a classic self-made success story of an American entrepreneur. That is why it was
16. What external environment factor did Apple change for the business and general
economy?
17. What decision-making model is used at Apple when selecting new products and
transitions?
Creative decision making. Apple’s goal is to be creative enough to change entire
industries.
18. What is the strategic level of planning of this case, and what strategy is Apple
using?
19. Why do you think Cooks moved the structure of the organization from one that
was divided by function, to one that was cross-functional? State some advantages
to cross-functional teams.
To create interdisciplinary teams that reduced the siloed environment so that information